Archive for July, 2025
President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who leads the EU’s executive body, announced a preliminary deal on Sunday (July 27) that saw the U.S. imposed tariffs of 15% on most goods entering the U.S. from Europe. In addition, European companies would buy US$750 billion worth of American energy products over three […]
... written on Jul 29 2025As Beijing faces a delicate balancing act on what role it should play in the stunning border hostilities between Thailand and Cambodia that has led to a bloody war with dozens dead, Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has prematurely – and recklessly – rushed to announce a ceasefire between both nations and a withdrawal of […]
... written on Jul 26 2025Governments do not have money, but very few realize it. To create money in order to pay debts, to fund public services or to build infrastructure, a government either borrows by selling bonds or generates revenue through taxation. While governments may also receive income from other sources like fees, interest or commodities, taxes are generally […]
... written on Jul 24 2025Subway trains in Shenzen, China, were invaded by an army of three dozen robots early last week. The roughly three-foot-tall robots developed by a subsidiary of Vanke, a large Chinese firm partly owned by the Shenzhen Metro, boarded and exited the trains to deliver packages to several 7-Eleven convenience stores. For obvious reasons, the 41 […]
... written on Jul 22 2025After weeks of criticisms, including lawmakers from Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s own party, as well as a mass protest from more than a thousand lawyers over transparency in judicial appointments, the country finally has named Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh as its new Chief Justice. As expected, Anwar quickly cried innocence to hoodwink gullible […]
... written on Jul 20 2025Mixing business with pleasure often leads to conflicts of interest and negatively impacts business and professionalism. But mixing business with politics could lead to a very complex and risky consequences. CK Hutchison found out the hard way when it announced a mega deal in March 2025 to sell its 90% stake in Panama’s ports of […]
... written on Jul 18 20252.6 percent GDP growth is not exciting, nor is it the kind of number that makes politicians puff their chests or retail traders load up on call options. However, it is the kind of number that should make long-term investors smile. Because in 2025, while half the world is going through rate hikes, currency shocks, […]
... written on Jul 16 2025Donald Trump said he was “disappointed” in Vladimir Putin, who has kept attacking Ukraine as if the leaders’ telephone conversations “didn’t mean anything.” Trying to hide that he had been fooled by the Russian president, Trump said – “He’s fooled a lot of people. He fooled Bush. He fooled a lot of people. He fooled Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden. He didn’t […]
... written on Jul 16 2025Anwar Ibrahim must have thought it was a clever plan to fly overseas after deliberately leaving the judicial system in a mess. He was taking a page from ex-mentor Mahathir’s playbook. Former premier Mahathir Mohamad was known for going overseas to avoid domestic issues, or whenever he anticipated an upcoming crisis – whether it was […]
... written on Jul 13 2025Marco Rubio’s first visit to Southeast Asia as Secretary of State has given the U.S.’s Asian allies and trading partners a golden opportunity to express their concerns – or rather complaints – about Trump administration’s tariff threats. With only 36 hours to spare, he skipped visits to Japan and South Korea, heading directly to Malaysia […]
... written on Jul 11 2025
